Chad Johnson’s Lawyer Seeks Cut in 30-day Jail Term

As for the courtroom laughter, Swickle added, “this is not Mr. Johnson’s fault and he should not be punished for the actions of third parties.”

Prosecutors say they’ll leave Johnson’s sentence up to McHugh, who presides over Broward County domestic violence cases. A hearing has been set for next Monday.

Johnson, 35, spent most of his NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals, catching 766 passes for more than 11,000 yards and 67 touchdowns. He played one year with the New England Patriots and then was in training camp last year with the Miami Dolphins, who cut him after he head-butted Lozada during a domestic altercation. Lozada, a star on VH-1’s “Basketball Wives” show, quickly filed for divorce.

Johnson, a Miami native, said in court he still hopes resurrect his football career. Under the plea deal that had been reached, Johnson would do 25 hours of community service and attend counseling sessions twice a week during his probation. In addition, the probation would be extended three months into December.